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Paul Is Arrested

27 Now when (A)the seven days were almost over, (B)the Jews from [a](C)Asia, upon noticing him in the temple, began to throw all the crowd into confusion and laid hands on him, 28 crying out, “Men of Israel, help! (D)This is the man who teaches to everyone everywhere against our people and the Law and this place; and besides, he has even brought Greeks into the temple and has (E)defiled this holy place.” 29 For they had previously seen (F)Trophimus the (G)Ephesian in the city with him, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple. 30 Then all the city was stirred, and [b]the people rushed together, and taking hold of Paul they (H)dragged him out of the temple, and immediately the doors were shut. 31 While they were seeking to kill him, a report came up to the [c]commander of the (I)Roman [d]cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion. 32 At once he (J)took along soldiers and centurions and ran down to them; and when they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. 33 Then the commander came up and took hold of him, and ordered him to be (K)bound with (L)two chains; and he began asking who he was and what he had done. 34 But among the crowd (M)some were shouting one thing and some another, and when he could not find out the [e]facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into (N)the barracks. 35 And when he got to (O)the stairs, he actually was carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd; 36 for the multitude of the people kept following them, shouting, “(P)Away with him!”

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 21:27 West coast province of Asia Minor
  2. Acts 21:30 Lit a running together of the people occurred
  3. Acts 21:31 Military leader over 1,000 soldiers
  4. Acts 21:31 Normally 600 men (the number varied); or battalion
  5. Acts 21:34 Lit certainty

Paul seized by the people

27 When the seven days of purification were almost over, the Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul in the temple. Grabbing him, they threw the whole crowd into confusion by shouting, 28 “Fellow Israelites! Help! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people, the Law, and this place. Not only that, he has even brought Greeks into the temple and defiled this holy place.” (29 They said this because they had seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him earlier, and they assumed Paul had brought him into the temple.) 30 The entire city was stirred up. The people came rushing, seized Paul, and dragged him out of the temple. Immediately the gates were closed. 31 While they were trying to kill him, a report reached the commander of a company of soldiers that all Jerusalem was in a state of confusion. 32 Without a moment’s hesitation, he took some soldiers and officers and ran down to the mob. When the mob saw the commander and his soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. 33 When the commander arrived, he arrested Paul and ordered him to be bound with two chains. Only then did he begin to ask who Paul was and what he had done.

34 Some in the crowd shouted one thing, others shouted something else. Because of the commotion, he couldn’t learn the truth, so he ordered that Paul be taken to the military headquarters. 35 When Paul reached the steps, he had to be carried by the soldiers in order to protect him from the violence of the crowd. 36 The mob that followed kept screaming, “Away with him!”

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